Family Therapy: Systemic Knowledge

To be empty is always to be empty of something. When we contemplate a flower like this, we see the flower is full of everything: the cloud, the sunshine, the Earth, time, space, the gardener---everything has come together to help the flower to manifest. Why do we say it is empty? It is empty of only one thing: a separate existence. A flower cannot be by herself alone. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Like the flower that cannot exist alone, neither can we. In each individual there is their guardian, sibling, elder, social leaders, country men and women, friends, lovers, earth, sky, ocean, farmer, etc... All these things help shape and effect us. And no one object or person does that better than our family.

Our family is the first social setting we experience. As infants our survival is strongly linked to their mental and physical health. We learn very fast when our guardians are in a bad place and are unable to take care of us. We become skilled at knowing what we need to do to make sure their love and support comes our way. We are full of knowledge by the time we are 3 years old and more so with each year that follows.

This systemic awareness is the reason why we have mental health practitioners trained in family therapy. They recognize that one does not exist without the many. Therefore our work asks us to never look at one person as the source of a problem. There is no right or wrong and each individual is interacting the best they can with the knowledge they have and the system they exist in.

Marriage and Family Therapists help individuals, couples and families work with teen anger, unexpected pregnancies, teen substance abuse, domestic violence, parenting skills, relationship struggles, interfaith families, anxiety, depression and more. Facing these challenges with an unbiased trained practitioner can aid in building the techniques necessary to change the damaging patterns that exist.

Good luck on your journey.